**Trustees’ report 2024/25**
## **Safaplace**
## **Charity number 1179202**
## **Trustees’ report for the year ended May 2025**
## **Structure, governance and management**
Safaplace is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) registered on the 11th of February 2017 and governed by its constitution.
## **Background**
Safaplace was created in 2017 after the deaths by suicide of 16-year-olds Rachel Finke and Harry Lisle.
## **Charitable aims and Objectives.**
The charities aims are:
* to make Stoke Newington a neighbourhood where young people can find help and support for all aspects of mental health
*to make Stoke Newington school a centre for positive mental health awareness and to share and learn with other schools in the wider community Safaplace’s charitable
object: the preservation and protection of mental health and well being among pupils of Stoke Newington school, people living in the London borough of Hackney and the surrounding area and throughout England and Wales by the provision of support, education, practical advice and by such other means as the trustees may determine. Safaplace continues its role within the community helping parents to support their children's mental health and well-being.
## **Activities and Achievements**
During the reporting period, Safaplace delivered its annual community conference, _Stepping Up_ , which focused on promoting positive mental health, inclusion and understanding of the complex challenges facing children, young people and their families. The conference brought together parents, carers, education professionals, clinicians and community members, providing free and accessible opportunities for learning, reflection and discussion.
## **2024 Conference Speakers – Overview**
## **Michael Collins**
## **Chair of Safaplace**
Michael Collins opened the conference and welcomed attendees. As Chair of Safaplace, he supports the strategic direction of the charity and its work to promote mental health awareness within the community.
## **Nick Hammond**
## **Mindfulness Teacher and Speaker**
Nick Hammond led a mindfulness session at the conference. With over 30 years’ experience as a company director and following personal loss, he now works as a registered mindfulness teacher, supporting individuals and communities to develop awareness and resilience.
## **Dr Lucy Carter**
## **GP and Trustee, Shoreditch Trust**
Dr Lucy Carter delivered a presentation introducing trauma-informed care and practice and the role of the London ACES Hub. An experienced GP and former senior lecturer, her work focuses on mental health, equality and supporting vulnerable children and young people through trauma-informed approaches.
## **Tim Linehan**
## **Parent Advocate and Activist**
Tim Linehan shared insights drawn from his lived experience as a parent of a child affected by Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA). He has worked extensively within mental health and children’s charities and has carried out local research to highlight the impact of EBSNA on families.
## **Jo Law**
## **Family and Systemic Psychotherapist**
Jo Law facilitated a workshop exploring family communication, using practical exercises to support families during challenging times. She has worked in adult and child mental health services since 1996 and now practices independently with families and young people.
## **Clio Oji and Eleanor Cammegh**
## **Kooth Practitioners**
Clio Oji and Eleanor Cammegh delivered a workshop outlining Kooth’s mental health support for young people. They discussed access routes, anonymity and practical guidance for parents and carers supporting children’s emotional wellbeing.
## **Marcia Brissett-Bailey**
## **Educator, Author and Neurodiversity Advocate**
Marcia Brissett-Bailey led a workshop focused on dyslexia, neurodiversity and inclusion within education. An experienced educator and author, she shared strategies to support learners and highlighted the importance of collaboration between schools, families and support services.
## **Sarah Johnson**
## **Education Consultant and Author**
Sarah Johnson facilitated a workshop on supporting children experiencing emotionally based school avoidance. With over 20 years’ experience across education and alternative provision, she brought practical insight into nurturing behaviour and supporting children with social, emotional and mental health needs.
## **Joe Shearer**
## **The Amy Winehouse Foundation**
Joe Shearer delivered a workshop addressing communication with young people around substance misuse. Representing The Amy Winehouse Foundation, he
focused on prevention, emotional wellbeing and supporting young people to make informed choices.
## **Molly**
## **Parent Speaker (Hackney)**
Molly shared lived experience of parenting a trans child through secondary education and beyond. Her session provided an opportunity for open discussion around mental health, relationships and family support within a safe and respectful space.
## **Pip Ainsworth and Jenny Diprose**
## **School-based Pastoral Practitioners**
Pip Ainsworth and Jenny Diprose contributed a workshop discussion on supporting children’s mental health in secondary schools. Drawing on extensive experience in pastoral roles, they shared practical strategies centred on trust, listening and relational practice.
## **Joshua Wilton**
## **Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)**
Joshua Wilton delivered a presentation on SilverCloud, a CBT-based digital mental health platform. Working within the City & Hackney Mental Health Support Team, he outlined how digital tools can support children and young people experiencing low mood and anxiety.
## **Richard Allen**
## **Safaplace Trustee**
Richard Allen chaired the panel discussion, enabling reflection and dialogue across themes raised during the conference and reinforcing Safaplace’s role in facilitating community-led discussion around mental health and wellbeing.
The programme aligned closely with Safaplace’s charitable objectives by supporting mental health awareness, reducing isolation and empowering families with knowledge and practical strategies.
## **Expert Speakers and Lived Experience Contributions**
These sessions enhanced understanding of the systemic factors affecting children’s mental health and encouraged more compassionate, inclusive approaches within schools and families.
## **Workshops Supporting Families and Young People**
A series of interactive workshops provided attendees with practical guidance on family communication, supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, navigating substance misuse conversations, neurodiversity and dyslexia, trans inclusion, and supporting transitions into secondary education. The inclusion of lived-experience perspectives alongside professional insight enabled meaningful discussion in a safe and supportive environment. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of these sessions in increasing confidence, reducing stigma and strengthening families’ ability to support young people’s mental health.
## **Partnership and Community Engagement**
Safaplace’s conference also demonstrated its commitment to collaboration by working with a range of partner organisations and services, including NHS-commissioned digital mental health providers and specialist charities. Presentations on services such as Kooth and SilverCloud increased awareness of accessible mental health support pathways for children and young people. The event concluded with a panel discussion led by trustees, reinforcing Safaplace’s role in listening to community needs and fostering open dialogue. These activities contributed directly to public benefit by improving access to information, strengthening community connections and promoting early support for mental health and wellbeing.
In planning and delivering this activity, the trustees had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and were satisfied that the conference furthered the charity’s objects and provided clear benefit to the public.
We would like to thank everyone who supported us in organizing and a ending this year’s conference, especially our amazing volunteers and trustees. We are already starting to think about next year's conference.
**Safaplace’s reflective garden** established in Stoke Newington school goes from strength to strength. It is supported by the school’s PTFA and holds gardening sessions on the third Saturday of every month. It is amazing how much the space has changed in the last 8 years so huge thanks go to our wonderful volunteer gardeners.
We would also like to thank our supporters who have funded and supported our initiatives this year thank you so much for our support please let us know if there are things that you would like us to be doing to support young people's mental health and well-being in the community we are always open to new ideas.
## **Financial review**
The results of the year's opera ons are set out in the attached financial statements the net movements in funds for the year amounted to and the retained reserves as of 31st of May 2023 is compared with last year Reserve policy The Charity Commission requires charities to determine and explain their policy for free reserves. The trustees have reviewed the organization's free reserves policy and have turned its en re unrestricted fund into an emergency reserve to enable Safaplace to meet its obligations in the event of a small fall in income or sudden upturn in expenditure.
## **Risk management**
The trustees have examined any major risks, which Safaplace faces and believe that maintaining their free reserves at a reasonable level, combined with their annual review of the controls over key financial systems will provide sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. Fixed assets The organization has no fixed assets.
## **Funds available**
The present level of funding is adequate to support the continuation of the charity operations for the medium term and the trustees consider the financial position of the charity be satisfactory.
|**Incoming resources**|**Unrestricted**
**Fund £**|**Restricted**
**Fund £**|
|---|---|---|
|Donations|1128.97|0|
||||
|**Total incoming resources**|**1128.97**|**0**|
||||
|**Outgoing resources**|**Unrestricted**
**Fund £**|**Restricted**
**Fund £**|
|Conference|1225.38|0|
|---|---|---|
|Justgiving subscription|233.04||
|Refreshments for community
gardening|105.65||
|Transition project|2650.62||
||||
|**Total Outgoing resources**|**4214.69**|**0**|
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|**Remaining Charity Bank**
**Account balance**|**43215.28**||